Pro Sports Blogging » Mike De Petrillohttp://www.prosportsblogging.com
24/7 Real Sports TalkTue, 31 Mar 2015 16:43:46 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2Leafs Nation: This is the new plan?!?http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/20/leafs-nation-this-is-the-new-plan/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/20/leafs-nation-this-is-the-new-plan/#commentsMon, 20 Dec 2010 18:42:05 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=34526Brett Lebda is playing LW tonight and Nazem Kadri continues to be a healthy scratch. In what bizarre edition of reality does this scenario even remotely make sense? Seriously? Brett Lebda. Makes sense that the under-achieving defenseman that is incapable of cracking the blue line when all Leafs defensemen are healthy is now taking NHL [...]]]>

Brett Lebda is playing LW tonight and Nazem Kadri continues to be a healthy scratch. In what bizarre edition of reality does this scenario even remotely make sense? Seriously?

Brett Lebda. Makes sense that the under-achieving defenseman that is incapable of cracking the blue line when all Leafs defensemen are healthy is now taking NHL playing time away from the organization’s top prospect.

Brett. Lebda. Playing left wing tonight…(it makes as little sense typing it out a couple of times than it does repeating it aloud)

What is going on in the executive suite down at the ACC? I guess all the recent success (sarcasm) the team has enjoyed coupled with the extra cushy holiday freeze period (sadly, reality) has taken all the reason out of the hockey minds down on Bay St. There must have been a 10 day “spiked egg-nog” bender that is clouding personnel decisions, right?

Kadri may not be lighting the league on fire so far in his rookie season (at least not in the goal scoring dept), but come on. I’m looking forward to reading/watching/listening to all the excuses from management why this is a good idea today.

It gets harder and harder on a daily basis to look for the silver lining in this storm cloud.

MD27

No twitter advertising today; this is a free public service announcement.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/20/leafs-nation-this-is-the-new-plan/feed/4Leafs Nation: On to VAN Cityhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/17/leafs-nation-on-to-van-city/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/17/leafs-nation-on-to-van-city/#commentsFri, 17 Dec 2010 16:07:47 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/nhl-hockey/toronto-maple-leafs/leafs-nation-on-to-van-city/Well, one and one on this trip through Alberta. Not terrible, but really if you expected the Leafs to come out on the positive side of .500 on this stretch of games, these were the two ripe for the taking. Watching Calgary last night really drives home Dion Phaneuf’s point about the Leafs being too [...]]]>

Well, one and one on this trip through Alberta. Not terrible, but really if you expected the Leafs to come out on the positive side of .500 on this stretch of games, these were the two ripe for the taking.

Watching Calgary last night really drives home Dion Phaneuf’s point about the Leafs being too small and too soft in the forward corps. Watching the Flames out muscle the Leafs for pucks along the boards and in front of the net grew tiresome early and greatly impacted the result of the match.

The Leafs looked disorganized in their own zone, regularly giving the puck away like Halloween candy and relying on goaltender JS Giguere to keep things reasonable through the opening period. It didn’t get much better from there…

So a 5-2 loss that saw both goalies get some action; JSG was spectacular at times and abysmal at others, as evidenced by a couple of softies that found the back of the net during Calgary’s 3 goal outburst in the second period.

Another postmortem on another poor effort.

Off to VAN city for another ‘road’ game Saturday. Nothing quite as angering as a smarmy Canucks fan; I’m still baffled of their taunting of the Leafs and fans…especially considering the team they follow, while more talented and closer to a cup now than the blue and white, one that has never won the big prize. Ever. I looked it up…

43 years and counting vs never. Do the math.

It is nice to see that Leafs Nation truly is just that, with audible “Go Leafs Go” chants rivaling the home fans cheering for their squad. Let’s see if BC rolls out the hospitality cart too…

Leafs Notes:

-Is it not time to begin calling Mikhail Grabovski the best player on this Leaf team?
-Does Phil Kessel wear a red horizontally striped shirt under his equipment? Where’s Waldo? How ’bout where’s Phil? (most nights these days)
-Didn’t it seem like you saw clips regularly on SportsCentre of Phaneuf and Komisarek dishing out monster hits before they became Leafs?
-Was there a better value signing in the NHL this offseason than Clarke MacArthur?
-Was there a worse value signing in the NHL this offseason than Brett Lebda? (Leafs paid more for longer for the latter….no, seriously)
-Why does Francois Beauchemin not get more flack for his constant giveaways?
-Why is it the Leafs operate on a different set of rules during the holidays than the rest of the NHL? Don’t the fans paying astronomical prices for tickets and merchandise deserve their teams’ management do everything possible to make the team better even if it means putting a damper on a millionaire’s Christmas? Lots of people lose their jobs around the holidays let alone get sent to another city to continue being paid their large salary.
-If a GM came to Brian Burke tomorrow with another Phaneuf-esque trade proposal doesn’t he owe it to Joe Fan to pull the trigger? Would he even consider it?
-I love Colton Orr, but when a team like the Flames doesn’t dress a dance partner in his weight class, is there not a player that can more obviously impact the outcome of a game sitting in the press box?

MD27

Follow me on Twitter: @mbd_27

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/17/leafs-nation-on-to-van-city/feed/0Leafs Nation: Game Nighthttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/11/leafs-nation-game-night-2/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/11/leafs-nation-game-night-2/#commentsSun, 12 Dec 2010 00:17:40 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/nhl-hockey/toronto-maple-leafs/leafs-nation-game-night-2/Despite a couple of poor efforts against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia this week, the Leafs stand poised to take 3 of 5 games from Eastern Conference front-runners after a tough stretch of schedule. With Wafflegate in the rearview mirror, strong efforts from top forwards like Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg will go a long way towards [...]]]>

Despite a couple of poor efforts against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia this week, the Leafs stand poised to take 3 of 5 games from Eastern Conference front-runners after a tough stretch of schedule.

With Wafflegate in the rearview mirror, strong efforts from top forwards like Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg will go a long way towards a potentially momentum turning victory of sorts; anything these days can be seen as a positive for the blue and white.

The line of Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin continues to provide primary scoring, with a refreshing dose of physicality supplied by the returning Colby Armstrong and captain Dion Phaneuf.

Can’t beat an HNIC Saturday against the Habs, and for those early adapters, an HNIC broadcast in 3D. Should be pretty cool and if anyone is lucky to view it in this format, please feel free to share your thoughts.

Enjoy the game; should be a good indicator of whether there is something to get excited about with this team aside from the progression of future building blocks.

MD27

Follow me on Twitter: @mbd_27

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/11/leafs-nation-game-night-2/feed/1Leafs Nation: What Now?http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/02/leafs-nation-what-now/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/02/leafs-nation-what-now/#commentsFri, 03 Dec 2010 02:39:33 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=32021Wow. You would have thought blowing a 3-1 lead at home would be the most embarrassing loss this week. What could possibly happen Saturday? Something’s gotta give in Toronto. Top 6, bottom 6 – D or G…whatever. This is atrocious ‘hockey’ displayed on a regular basis by a younger average age team than the [...]]]>

Wow. You would have thought blowing a 3-1 lead at home would be the most embarrassing loss this week. What could possibly happen Saturday?

Something’s gotta give in Toronto. Top 6, bottom 6 – D or G…whatever.

This is atrocious ‘hockey’ displayed on a regular basis by a younger average age team than the Oilers. 5-0? Really?

This IS NOT Ron Wilson’s fault either. You wouldn’t expect a jockey to win the Kentucky Derby on a Clydsdale.

Sorry for the rant, but I don’t think it’s an overstatement at all to say this team could finish worse than last year based on the effort level we are seeing from some of the so called building block stars.

Just terrible.

MD27

(I’m not even going to plug my Twitter)

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/02/leafs-nation-what-now/feed/3Leafs Nation: Game Nighthttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/02/leafs-nation-game-night/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/02/leafs-nation-game-night/#commentsThu, 02 Dec 2010 20:34:43 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=31990Here we are on Leafs game night, welcoming the equally woeful Edmonton Oilers to town tonight for an all Canadian match-up. Both teams are sitting at 20 points for the year, with the Oilers accruing one more loss than our beloved blue and white. The Leafs are 8-11-4 this season, good for a share of [...]]]>

Here we are on Leafs game night, welcoming the equally woeful Edmonton Oilers to town tonight for an all Canadian match-up. Both teams are sitting at 20 points for the year, with the Oilers accruing one more loss than our beloved blue and white. The Leafs are 8-11-4 this season, good for a share of 3rd last in the NHL.

I guess Leafs Nation can consider that an improvement over last year’s 29th place finish, but if I worked at the ACC in a Leafs management capacity I wouldn’t be breaking my arm patting myself on the back.

Let’s call a spade a spade: The Leafs forward group simply isn’t good enough as currently constructed. There has been a gross miscalculation of the talent group the forwards possess, and on a nightly basis the blue and white are generally outs-cored, out-hit and out-classed.

Whatever happened to that buzz word ‘TRUCULENT’ Brian Burke turned into a punch line after taking the reins of the Leafs? If you’re not good enough to win games on talent, hustle and physical dominance can take over and earn you a couple points you may not deserve. (I’m talking truculence in the Milan Lucic hit/score/fight mould, not the staged-fight truculence Colton Orr brings to the table – not that he isn’t great at what he does)

Speaking of which, is it possible to be ‘too tough’? I think so – no one wants to fight Orr in a spontaneous moment…just in a pre puck drop, little emotion, 60 second staged fight with the other teams’ big guy. There’s the occasional youngster aiming to make a name for himself with a TKO over a top 3 NHL enforcer, but a roster spot is dedicated nightly to a player who offers little else than an insurance policy to the squad on a limited basis.

So – who will win the battle of 20 point teams? Who vault into 27th in the league with a win? Can there be a more heart breaking loss on the horizon for the legions of Leaf fans?

Notes:

Mike Brown is out tonight after admirably blocking a late shot in the TBL loss Tuesday night.

Colby Armstrong has received medical clearance to rejoin the team and should be back in the line-up Saturday.

Dion Phaneuf is apparently 2 weeks out from making his return after a deep cut suffered against the Senators.

Jonas Gustavsson makes his 7th consecutive start with JSG backing up. The Monster has looked great lately and cannot be faulted with any recent losses. (Love the fact he gets upset over goals/losses…Vesa Toskala should take note)

Get Kadri back on the wing! Things were going just a little TOO WELL there for a bit so RW & Co. decided to mess with what’s working and move him to C…too many bad giveaways and defensive responsibilities in the NHL Naz isn’t quite ready for.

Will there be a Phil Kessel sighting at the ACC tonight? Where’s that guy from the first 10 games gone?

Shake-up time in my humble opinion…time to pull the trigger on a shake-up move…getting on in the year and the offense clearly isn’t good enough BB.

Enjoy the game tonight. Fasten your seat belt – the barf bag should be stowed in the seat in front of you if needed.

MD27

Follow me on Twitter: @mbd_27

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/12/02/leafs-nation-game-night/feed/0Leafs Nation: RIP Pat Burnshttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/19/leafs-nation-rip-pat-burns/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/19/leafs-nation-rip-pat-burns/#commentsSat, 20 Nov 2010 00:38:00 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=29703As the Maple Leafs make their way to Montreal to face the Canadiens, the hockey fraternity finds itself one member less with the passing of NHL coach Pat Burns. The Stanley Cup winner lost his lengthy battle with cancer today, and it is with sadness that I write this piece. A fierce competitor, tough disciplinarian [...]]]>

As the Maple Leafs make their way to Montreal to face the Canadiens, the hockey fraternity finds itself one member less with the passing of NHL coach Pat Burns.

The Stanley Cup winner lost his lengthy battle with cancer today, and it is with sadness that I write this piece.

A fierce competitor, tough disciplinarian and leader of men, Pat Burns will be missed by fans, players and media alike. My fondest memory of the former Leaf head coach occurred during the memorable 1993 playoff run, where in the heat of battle Burns did his darndest to visit his counterpart Barry Melrose on the Kings bench – mid game.

It was this passion that endeared Burns to those who watch hockey – truly one of a kind.

Fittingly two of Burns’ former teams square off on national television tomorrow night; bet on one of the stirring tributes CBC does best – Coach ‘pat’ deserves it.

Notes:

Coming off three inspired performances in the last 7 days, the Leafs look to make it 3 in a row against the rival Habs.

-Nice to see Kris Versteeg having success; it wasn’t for lack of effort that saw the talented winger struggle in the early going this season.
-Nazem Kadri has found some success on the wing since being recalled from the Marlies last week; get your feet wet in the NHL on the wing Naz – Leafs Nation needs you up the middle next year!
-Encouraging news that Dion Phaneuf is on the mend after the nasty gash he suffered against the Senators. Looking forward to the big Captain getting back on the ice soon.
-I’m looking forward to seeing just how cocky this PK Subban really is; Flyers captain Mike Richards is obviously not a fan.

Albeit with a heavy heart, enjoy the game Leafs fans.

MD27

Follow me on Twitter: @mbd_27

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/19/leafs-nation-rip-pat-burns/feed/0Leafs Nation: The Circus Is In Town…And They Brought Nazem Kadri With Themhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/12/leafs-nation-the-circus-is-in-town-and-they-brought-nazem-kadri-with-them/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/12/leafs-nation-the-circus-is-in-town-and-they-brought-nazem-kadri-with-them/#commentsFri, 12 Nov 2010 17:03:40 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=27938In advance of tomorrow nights tilt with the Vancouver Canucks at the ACC, the circus is coming to town. No elephants, clowns – or my personal favorite – motorcycles in a spherical cage this time, just Maple Leaf golden boy Nazem kadri…riding into town (even though the Marlies play in Toronto too…true, I looked it [...]]]>

In advance of tomorrow nights tilt with the Vancouver Canucks at the ACC, the circus is coming to town. No elephants, clowns – or my personal favorite – motorcycles in a spherical cage this time, just Maple Leaf golden boy Nazem kadri…riding into town (even though the Marlies play in Toronto too…true, I looked it up) to save the Leafs from themselves.

If you could stomach both performances in FLA this week, you realize this is a team in need of saving right now. Too much pressure for a 20 year old in my opinion, walking into the NHL spotlight in a battle of two Canadian teams on Hockey Night in Canada. This is a no win scenario – great game by Kadri and the expectations will rapidly become unrealistic; poor effort and he is a wasted #7 overall pick for the blue and white.

I’ll tell you one thing: this smells like distraction to me; Vancouver…Burke…HNIC…losing streak…Nazem Kadri…

With the optimist almost beat out of me in the last 11 games, the question has to be whether or not it could hurt. Probably not, but give the kid a chance.

You can bet on a post mortem to this one – win, lose or draw – this weekend.

MD27

Follow me on Twitter: @MBD_27

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/12/leafs-nation-the-circus-is-in-town-and-they-brought-nazem-kadri-with-them/feed/0Leafs Nation: Road Trip to FLA…”A Tale of Two Tweeters”http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/09/leafs-nation-road-trip-to-fla-a-tale-of-two-tweeters/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/09/leafs-nation-road-trip-to-fla-a-tale-of-two-tweeters/#commentsTue, 09 Nov 2010 19:51:06 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=27129It’s game night in FLA…that brings me back to the immortal FLA hockey references in the movie Slapshot, which for the most part are not fit to print in a classy blog like Leafs Nation on PSB. If ever there was a time to step up and steal a couple of points it’s this swing [...]]]>

It’s game night in FLA…that brings me back to the immortal FLA hockey references in the movie Slapshot, which for the most part are not fit to print in a classy blog like Leafs Nation on PSB. If ever there was a time to step up and steal a couple of points it’s this swing through the sun-belt, hopefully with more than a few Canadian snow-birds going right from their early bird dinner over to the rink to cheer on the blue and white.

A lot of criticism over the weekend in the Toronto media was aimed at head coach Ron Wilson and his inability to take the Leafs to the next level. On the surface these points may have some validity, but if you peel away a couple of layers of ‘the onion’ it is not such a cut and dry scenario.

Brian Burke builds team from the net out. That’s goaltending, defence, team defence and then the scoring group. He has done an admirable (some may say overkill) job in amassing some legitimate NHL defencemen to the roster. The resurgence of Luke Schenn and his re-birth into a dominant shutdown defenceman has made more than one acquisition redundant in Leafland, and with the lack of scoring power this problem becomes all the more evident.

Many are calling the Leafs start a disappointment, however I firmly believe that is a bi-product of a 4-0 start, and even the mainstream media was getting all hot and bothered over a team they seemingly under-estimated heading into the 2010-11 campaign. Now those that live in glass houses have resumed throwing stones, and the notion of objective journalism turns into an attention grab for readers/viewers/listeners.

As currently constructed, this is a middle of the pack team. Hopefully some meaningful games will be played later this season, but without some more punch up front – figuratively, not literally – this team will be poised for future success.

Tonight’s tilt versus the Lightning is an example of a game the Leafs will need to rely on the strong ‘net out’ philosophy of the coaching staff and management. Steven Stamkos is turning the league on its ear this season, scoring at will throughout the early going. A team that prior to Steve Yzerman taking the helm focused more on the offensive side of the puck, the Lightning are finding a balance this year and showing signs of being a contender.

A great test – and victory for morale – if the Leafs can escape with a point tonight in the first game of a short roadie through the tax-less state of FLA.

A Tale of Two Tweeters:

GM meetings are underway in Toronto, and on the docket is an interesting subject of players tweeting during the season. I go both ways on this one…

Take the example of Mike Komisarek, who was quite vocal with his Twitter account prior to puck drop of 2010/11, but has gone quiet of late and focussed on the season at hand. A veteran move by a solid veteran leader. He is setting an example for his team mates by eliminating distractions and focussing on the team and the obstacles they must overcome together to be successful on the ice.

At the other end of the spectrum is sophomore Tyler Bozak. Just removed from being publicly called out by his coach after Saturday night’s loss to the struggling Sabres, and embroiled in his own troubles as the #1 centre in Toronto and early season sophomore slump, Bozak took to his Twitter account to announce the Bills/Bears NFL game at Rogers Centre, along with supplying a note of encouragement to an ailing friend. Certainly a worthy cause (the shout out to a friend, not the NFL public service announcement) but really the thing to be doing while you’re struggling to find your game? What does that say to your team mates/coaches/management about how seriously you are taking your role?

(My personal favourite Bozak tweet however was when he asked his followers to help him decide what he should be for Halloween…it took all my will power not to respond “1stline NHL centreman” to that one)

Writer’s Note: I firmly believe Bozak has the skill-set to be a fine NHL centre in a scoring role and just needs to find his groove again this year. All the more reason to focus solely on the ice and leave the other distractions at home.

Based on early season production up the middle for the Leafs this costume would have been a stretch for a couple guys…

At the end of the day I am all for the accessibility to NHL players Twitter provides; but seriously…pick your spots.

I’m curious: What are your thoughts on NHL players tweeting during the season?

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/09/leafs-nation-road-trip-to-fla-a-tale-of-two-tweeters/feed/0Leafs Nation: Stop the Bleeding (Literally)http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/03/leafs-nation-stop-the-bleeding-literally/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/03/leafs-nation-stop-the-bleeding-literally/#commentsWed, 03 Nov 2010 16:58:28 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=25812I’ll have to start by admitting that due to family commitments I wasn’t able to focus on the game last night as I normally would; I saw bits and pieces but not enough to make a good assessment of yet another Maple Leafs loss. On paper (and the ice), this season is starting to head [...]]]>

I’ll have to start by admitting that due to family commitments I wasn’t able to focus on the game last night as I normally would; I saw bits and pieces but not enough to make a good assessment of yet another Maple Leafs loss.

On paper (and the ice), this season is starting to head down the same path as the rest of them since the lock-out…

Scoring, not just secondary scoring, is an issue; despite the dramatically improved play of the goaltenders and defence, putting up some tallies on the offensive side of the puck is the most pressing issue facing this team and will be a key component to their climb from mediocrity the rest of this year and in years to come.

I am a Brian Burke fan – that being said, over-estimating the talent base up front has been the mistake made each off season the last two years. Obtaining some legitimate offensive weapons has to be front and centre in terms of priorities, and as Burke himself has said, those players are not available in the early-going of an NHL season.

Is Tomas Kaberle making enough of a difference on the defence to off-set not moving him for a scoring threat? So far, no…even though his play is off to a strong start and he is paired nicely with Luke Schenn.

Word from TSN this morning is that Dion Phaneuf will be out at least 4 weeks with a deep cut to his leg suffered in last night’s loss to the Senators. This injury will give extended minutes to Mike Komisarek – who is being under-utilized in relation to his salary in my opinion (not his fault). Looking back, Beauchemin or Komisarek’s millions may have been better spent on a scorer…cough, cough, ahem…Mike Cammaleri.

With the abysmal production from the #1 and #2 centre slots, the question has to be asked: Could Nazem Kadri do much worse? (Hint: two-letter word is the correct response)

Enjoy tonight’s match-up…if ever there was time for the goalie to steal a W it’s right now…of course someone will have to put a couple pucks in the net for even that to have a chance.

MD27

Follow me on Twitter: @mbd_27

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/11/03/leafs-nation-stop-the-bleeding-literally/feed/0Leafs Nation: Notes After Ninehttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/10/29/leafs-nation-notes-after-nine/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2010/10/29/leafs-nation-notes-after-nine/#commentsFri, 29 Oct 2010 04:22:06 +0000Mike De Petrillohttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=25010A disappointing loss for the Blue and White tonight. Another strong effort thwarted by a hot goalie, timely scoring and a more physically effective opponent. And to any loyal Leaf fan, the sting of the “Thank You…” chant from the Bruin faithful after Tyler Seguin’s second career goal. Another largely ineffective effort was turned in by [...]]]>

A disappointing loss for the Blue and White tonight. Another strong effort thwarted by a hot goalie, timely scoring and a more physically effective opponent. And to any loyal Leaf fan, the sting of the “Thank You…” chant from the Bruin faithful after Tyler Seguin’s second career goal. Another largely ineffective effort was turned in by Phil Kessel in Boston – the target of the aforementioned chorus – who looked tentative with the puck, electing for a pass first philosophy in a 2-0 loss.

Notes:

The Leafs are no doubt an improved club in 2010/11. The goaltending and defense is holding its own, and sporadic bursts of scoring have been the difference in the Leafs 5 wins this season.

Jonas Gustavsson has looked strong early on, still prone to positional wandering on occasion, the Monster continues to hone his craft in North America.

Phil Kessel is on pace for a very nice season scoring wise. It should be noted this is a player who scores in bunches and has been prone to stretches of ineffectiveness in the goal scoring department, a 40 plus marker season is certainly within reach. Kessel has looked stronger, more fit and able to translate this into prolonged bursts and dazzling displays of speed on a nightly basis so far this season.

Tomas Kaberle has looked good alongside a vastly improved Luke Schenn, and the pairing is logging big minutes in key situations this year. Schenn’s poise with the puck and physical dominance are among the most impressive aspects of his game versus a season ago.

What to do about centre? Tyler Bozak and Mikail Grabovski have combined for 1 goal on the season. Certainly not the production necessary for a team that hopes to play meaningful games late in the season.

Physical play. The forward group is on the smaller side of large, and can be physically intimidated by a more physical opponent; case in point, tonights loss to the Bruins. Luca Caputi was impressive in his first game since being recalled from the Marlies, and the player that I believed deserved a roster spot over John Mitchell coming out of training camp was rewarded for his effort by head coach Ron Wilson, earning a tap during the empty net play late in the 3rd.

Mike Komisarek. Are the Leafs easing him back into play or is Big Mike just not up to the challenge right now. It seems like an awful lot of money to be tied up in an already deep blueline, especially when playing in the 13:00 mpg range. Komisarek – when on the ice tonight – played a physical game, and I especially enjoyed his exchange with Bruin tough guy Shawn Thornton.

5-3-1 after nine; if not for a 4-0 start, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of complaining in Leaf Nation when you consider the terrible 29th place finish of a year ago, not even mentioning the horrific start to last season.